As noted previously, provisions pertaining to the legislature actually precede those of any branch of government, as appropriate for a democratic republic. This fact seems to surprise most students, who assume that the Executive branch takes primacy given the importance accorded to the Office of the President.

In this regard, the slides themselves are a straightforward (albeit aesthetically-challenged) account of the qualifications, responsibilities and powers of a sitting member of Congress. Speaking of which, in the two years I taught this course it never became tiresome to quiz students about whether Philippine Senators also count as Congressmen (as members of the lower house are called; answer: they do).

The slides end with a diagram of how bills become laws, which has always been helpful for students. Looking back, I think it would have been more interesting (if time-consuming) to simulate this in class, and knowing what I know now I wish I’d come up with a cleaner and simpler diagram, but the slides served their purpose well enough.

[About Presentation Thursdays: Every now and then, on a Thursday, I post a presentation from my archives and include some accompanying commentary not just about the content but also my thoughts on designing it. The presentations can also be viewed and downloaded from my Slideshare page]